


Finding Their Way

by DarkwingSnark, Moonbeamcat



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-06 05:57:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11594349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkwingSnark/pseuds/DarkwingSnark, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonbeamcat/pseuds/Moonbeamcat
Summary: Making his way through the swamplands to get to the country's capital, anti-social Rick Mallard runs into the likes of Viss-- a strange lizard demon who claims the land as their own. Friendly-- though impulsive-- Viss offers to be his guide. Their odd duo becomes a trio when the two gets hired by Jasper O'kamåne (the third) to help him acquire a mysterious artifact. A simple enough job, seemed easy enough!However, nothing in Rick Mallard's life had ever been simple...





	1. New Beginnings

Rick Mallard was many things. He was cantankerous; he was impatient, and just generally wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around. However, despite these flaws, one thing could be said for certain: he always finished whatever he set his mind to.

And it was this stubbornness that had him in his current plight. The duckman grunted as his blade sliced through the lower branches of the trees in front of him. He didn’t give it much other thought as he trudged forward, yet again able to see the path in front of him. Quickly looking at his map in his other hand, Rick nodded to himself– pleased to see that he was yet again going the right direction.

‘’Bout time,’ Rick thought bitterly to himself. It had been a couple of hours since he had entered the swampland, and from the information he gathered it would still be another few hours before he made it to the other side. It had already been a whole day since he started his journey, and three days since his life had changed altogether. As vaguely interesting as he had been finding the differences in scenery, there was only so much a guy could take before the harsh reality destroyed its charm. But Rick was a stubborn man, and there was nothing left for him to return to.

So he moved on, just like he always did.

His newfound resolve was quickly shattered, however, as the sound of something snapping instantly caught his attention. Rick Mallard was on his guard, dagger clutched tightly in his mitts. Sure, he may have never used a knife to fight before… but the sound of another twig snapping was enough to make him ready to learn how.

“Alright. I know you’re there. You better show yourself if you know what’s good for ya!”

Rick hoped he sounded as intimidating as he thought he did.

Yellow eyes glinted in the shadows.

It wasn’t every day someone wandered into their swamp. Actually, Viss couldn’t remember the last time there had been anyone there who possessed a higher intelligence than a frog. Viss was intrigued, fascinated even, and had been tailing them for a while now. What could he be doing there? What could he possibly be looking for in a swamp? Just passing through perhaps…

Just passing through? So he would be leaving? An urgency arose inside of them and they quickened their pace– accidentally stepping on a few twigs and alerting him to their presence. Whoops. They really needed to get better at sneaking. He had a weapon drawn now… if you could call it that… and Viss snickered. It was a fight he wanted? Sure!

An impish lizard creature burst from the shrubbery, bypassing Rick’s knife and tackling him to the sodden ground.

“Hiya!” They rasped, grinning down at him with a far too wide toothy grin.

Rick ‘oofed’ as the wind was knocked out of him, his blade flying as the short duckman landed hard on his back. While his heavy rucksack may have broken his fall, it didn’t, however, help his backside as he landed on top of it. Rick gasped for breath as he looked wildly at the creature that had attacked him. Eyes met with a sharp tooth grin, and that was all the incentive he needed to push the beast off of him.

The next plan of action was to find his dagger, and Rick Mallard winced slightly as he realized his knife was right next to the monster. He swiftly grabbed it before using all the strength and agility he could muster to roll away and jump to his feet. Glaring fiercely, the duckman widened his stance as he was ready to throw down with the creature.

“I’m warning ya, don’t come any closer.” The beast inched a nearer, that big grin still on their face. Rick’s glare intensified, his grip tightening on his knife. “What did I JUST say?!”

“What did I just say,” Viss repeated in a mocking tone. “Heh heh! Lighten up pal! You’re the one trespassing in MY swamp y'know…”

They jabbed their own chest with a thumb. Then, as quick as a darting lizard, the creature fell to all fours and zipped toward him, popping up right beside him and throwing an arm around his shoulders– which was a feat considering he was a foot taller at least.

“What’s yer name, where you from, where ya goin, huh?”

Rick lowered his weapon as he realized that the creature (person?) wasn’t actually a threat, just an annoyance. Their swamp? Nowhere on his map did it mention about the land being private property. Looking the other over, noting that the only clothes they wore were a loincloth and a few bandages, it didn’t take a detective to tell this ownership was by no means legal.

Rick pushed the creature off of him before crossing his arms against his chest.

“Look… you,” he began a bit awkwardly, but easily went back to his gruff self, “that’s none of your business. I just wanna get out of here, got it? I don’t plan on staying in your precious swamp more than I have to.” Rick noticed his map at his feet– most likely dropped when he was pounced. Grunting, Rick promptly picked it up as he looked it over, turning away from the shorter being as he started walking away.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

He was leaving! Viss began hopping from foot to foot in a little panic dance. If he left, they would be all alone! Again! Quick, think!

Viss darted after the guy, swiping the map from him and scurrying up the nearest tree to squat on a branch and read the map, turning it a few times as they tried to  figure out which way was up.

“Oh!” They pointed a clawed finger at the place circled on the map. “I know this place! I know the way!” They grinned, triumphantly. Ha! He couldn’t leave them behind just yet! Viss was useful.

Rick, however, wasn’t thinking about their usefulness in the slightest. He stared up at them dumbfoundedly as his brain tried to catch up with what happened. His map… Nobody had ever just snatched something from his hands before– most knew better not to. Shock turned to anger as he yelled at the little devil in the tree, the end of Rick’s floppy hat shaking as he did so.

“THAT’S MY MAP! Get your ass down here!” He was ready to climb the tree if he had to, as the duck stomped close to the base of the trunk. “I don’t need your help! I was doin’ just fine until ya went n’ distracted me!”

Noticing that Viss’ long tail was hanging just within his reach, Rick’s stern expression never changed even as he yanked the demon from their perch. The middle aged man towered over them threatenly.

“My map, NOW.”

“Yeowtch!” Not that the fall was painful; the ground around there was always pretty soggy. The tail yank hadn’t felt great though. They smirked up at the very angry man, sheepishly.

“Heheheh. As I was saying, here’s your map back, pal.” Viss handed the map out to him. They had no more use for it anyway.

“Name’s Viss, by the way. Two esses. Sss. ”

“I didn’t ask.”

Rick ignored their pouting as he purposefully straightened out his scroll. Not even saying goodbye that time, the duckman tugged on his tunic– tidying himself a tad– before walking off.

“That’s not the waaaay!” Viss sung cheerfully. Rick rolled his eyes.

“I don’t caaaare!” He mocked back.

Really, he was just at his wit’s end with that… thing. Rick had wasted enough time, losing some of his dignity, and he just wanted to leave the land before night fell. Not only was he unsure of what exactly lurked about the swamp, the one creature he WAS aware of was enough to put him off of discovering any others.

Maybe with that Viss person finally behind him, he could get back on track.

* * *

Two hours later and Rick Mallard felt more lost than ever. He swore he was reading the map exactly as he was supposed to. But none of the markings matched up to what he was actually seeing right in front of him. Rick pinched his bill in frustration as he rested against a moss covered rock.

“This is getting ridiculous.” He griped aloud. “The map SAID to go this way!”

 Maybe it was a dud… yeah. That had to be the case. The merchant he bartered with had been willing to sell it for a few coppers, and that should have been a sign that he had been scammed. While it stung to realized he had been duped, especially after over 30 years of experience, it did relieve his ego some to know it was the map’s fault and not his.

 Still, that left him with the trouble of being lost… maybe he should’ve taken up on the little monster’s offer after all. Sure, they were annoying, but dying in the middle of nowhere would be even more so.

 Rick got up, deciding to turn and find his way back. Maybe if he went far enough they would cross paths. Or at the very least he could find a better clearing to camp at so he could figure out where he went wrong.

 The ex-merchant didn’t have to go far before he heard another snap of a twig. Ah, so they had been following him after all. That’s good, it meant he didn’t have to backtrack.

 “Alright, Viss, I know that’s you.”

 Things got eerily quiet. This made Rick cautious, as his hand slowly made its way to the satchel at his hip. His hand entered inside as he desperately fondled for the handle of his dagger. He barely had time to whip it out before his senses were bombarded by a terrible screech.

 Not soon after was he greeted by the unwelcoming sight of an owlbear, as it charged directly for him.

 Rick leapt out of the way, ungracefully landing on his stomach. The owlbear gnashed with its beak, just nearly avoiding tearing Rick’s pants as he jerked his leg away.

 “Oh no you don’t!”

 The duckman kicked the monster in the face, only angering the creature more. The owlbear stood on its back legs as it screeched a horrid cry, before lashing out again.

 Rick only just managed to roll out of the way before the monstrous claws could come down upon him.

 Of course Viss had been following, they had just been more careful not to step on any twigs this time. It was difficult not to warn him when he began wandering into Owlbear territory, but he had made it very clear he didn’t want their help. So Viss remained silent, following at a safe distance. If they couldn’t make him stay, they were at the very least going to stalk him until he was gone.

 When he sent the beast into a frenzy by kicking it in the face, however, Viss decided it was best they step in and do something whether he wanted their help or not.

 Viss was small, but not small enough to avoid detection as they scurried up the enormous beast’s fur. The owlbear growled and spun around, snapping at them with its beak, like a dog snapping at a flea on its back. Viss thankfully avoided the snapping beak, and managed to make it to a safe zone. Which happened to be on the back of the beast’s head. Once there, Viss remained as still and quiet as they could, and  the owlbear seemed to give up and forget about them, scanning the area for the duck it had been chasing, instead.

 Once they were sure it was done trying to eat them, Viss shimmied around to the creature’s ear-hole, where they began to rub and coo in a way they’d been taught many years ago by their long since deceased father. The owlbear snorted a few times, before falling back on all fours, shaking the terrain as its front feet hit the ground. It shook its head, sending Viss flying off into the branches of a tree, but then slowly turned and lumbered back into the forest. Phew.

 Rick had watched this scene with awe as Viss had handled the monster. While his brain had told him to take the moment to run as fast as his webbed feet could take him, he found himself stuck on his back as the other two fought. For a moment there he had been worried that the owlbear was going to go after him again when he saw the beast throw Viss off of it, but gave a sigh of relief when it walked off instead. Finding his way back to his feet, Rick made his way over to where the little lizard demon had been thrown.

 “Uh… hey, you’re still alive, right?”

 The tree shook, a few branches snapped and tumbled from the tree, and eventually, a Viss tumbled out of the tree. Not their most graceful landing. They hopped to their feet quickly though, brushing themselves off, then grinned at the stranger.

 "Yup! Tough luck for you, pal. Oh, by the way, watch out. This is Owlbear territory. Heh.“ They stepped past him, walking slowly, their hands clasped behind their back. "You keep goin’ this way you’ll never find that place. Alright, bye!”

 Viss didn’t get far before they were stopped by Rick’s quick hands. While they were tempted to bite at the grip on their shoulder, instead  Viss looked up at him curiously.

 “Yeah?”

 “Yeah,” the duckman began bunglingly, “I… need you. Your help, that is, getting outta here.” He paused, glaring as he looked away. He wished being cordial wasn’t so hard for him. Rick sighed.

 “And thanks for… ya know.”

 Viss grinned. They DID know. And they had won! They had successfully gained themselves company for at least another day. Victory.

 "Great! You and me, travel buddies! … Til’ the end of the swamp, anyway.“ They slung their arm around the guy’s shoulders again, and attempted to walk like that, but not only were they too short, but this guy wouldn’t budge. He just stood there, stiffly, looking angry, glaring at them from the corner of his eye.

 "Yikes.” Viss let go and began walking ahead on their own, instead. “Follow me then, this-a-way! You know if you’d just listened to me way back there, you would have been there by dark. Juuuust saying!” Now there was no way they weren’t going to need to camp at some point. “Trust me, you do NOT wanna be walking around out here after the sun sets.”

 Rick was afraid it would come to that. Looking up towards the sky, the ex-merchant could just barely see some sun peeking from behind the trees. There would be daylight for another hour, if even that.

 “You wouldn’t happen to know a place to camp, would you?” Rick asked gruffly as he began to follow.

 "Sure I do! I know this swamp like… like… uh. Never mind. There’s a cave not too far away! Used to belong to the Owlbear, but she moved out a few years ago after she had her babies. Place just wasn’t big enough for the whole family, y'know?“

 Viss was distantly aware they were talking too much. They couldn’t help it though. It had been waaay too long since they had someone to talk to. Someone who knew what they were saying and might even respond with words sometimes.

 Words, however, didn’t come as Rick remained silent the rest of the journey. He wasn’t much of a talker, even on his best days. But Viss didn’t seem to mind as they prattled on, talking about the local wildlife as they traveled. Rick would merely grunt in response every so often to show he acknowledged what was being said, but otherwise remained silent.

 At last they came upon the cave, the duckman noting it would serve his purposes well enough.

 “Anything living here?” ‘Since the owlbear moved out’ was what Rick meant.

 "These days? Nah. Maybe a few bats.” Viss strolled on in, plopping onto the ground to lounge against a mossy rock.

 "I lived here for a year though. Needed a place to live away from that old shack for a while. Painful memories, ‘n all that.“

 Viss knew the guy didn’t care. They were just talking to talk at this point.

 "How 'bout you? Traveling for any particular reason?” Viss also knew they wouldn’t get an answer. They had already asked once, albeit with different words. They still didn’t even know his name.

 The moment they both got inside Rick started to unpack his bag. Since he had shelter from the elements, he figured he wouldn’t need to set up his tent. Rick was in the middle of unrolling his sleeping bag when he heard Viss’ question.

 “Business,” was the blunt retort he gave, and refused to say anything else. 

Viss watched the duckman curiously as he walked out the cave and a few minutes later returned with some broken branches. It wasn’t hard to tell that he was going to set up a fire, which brought a smile to the lizard demon’s face. It had been a long time since they needed one– seeing as they had built up a tolerance to the environment.

 The same must not have been the case for him.

 Viss watched, fascinated, as the guy expertly set the carefully arranged pile of sticks aflame, and then stoked it until it was going strong. They shuffled closer, scooting along the ground on their butt. This fire wasn’t for them, perhaps, but nothing stokes a friendship like sharing a campfire, right?

 Viss grinned at the guy on the other side of it. They couldn’t tell if he didn’t notice or was just ignoring them. Their grin faltered. Hm. Maybe not.

 While Rick certainly did notice he was being watched, he chose to ignore it. It wasn’t the first time he had been stared at, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. Taking a look outside the cave, the duckman noted that the sun had finally set and the nocturnal creatures had already begun to come out for the night.

 The ex-merchant removed his hat, running his fingers through the little tuft of grey hair on his head. He sighed, before looking Viss in the eyes.

 “Look, we should get to bed. I prefer getting up early.” Rick stated bluntly. He rather make it through the swamp and to the city before the next nightfall. He didn’t wait for an answer before making his way into his sleeping bag. Rick turned so his back was to both the fire and his navigator.

 The sudden direct eye contact had caught Viss off guard. Some old, primal survival instinct inside of them held them transfixed, their grin vanishing. their pupils dilating to slits. And then it was gone.

 Viss watched as the guy sandwiched himself inside a weird blanket– it looked like it was trying to eat him– and then turned back to the fire to stare at it for awhile. He would be leaving tomorrow and the swamp would be empty again. Viss poked the fire absentmindedly with a stick. Maybe it was about time they left this old swamp, too, see the world…

 Finally it was time get some shuteye, themselves, Viss yawned, stretched, and shuffled over to the lump that had eaten the duckman, curling up beside it like a dog and snuggling in close. For warmth, of course.

 Rick instantly flinched and froze from the sudden contact against him. He growled, turning slightly to glare at the little demon that has just stolen his personal space.

 “What. Are. You. Doing?” The duckman hissed between his clenched teeth.

 Viss opened their eyes and looked at him. Then they glanced around. What was he talking about? They weren’t doing anything. Were they supposed to put the fire out first?

 "I’m… sleeping. Or trying to.“ They gave him an annoyed look. Sheesh, he was the one so insistent on sleeping and here he was, Mr. Chatterbox all of a sudden.

 “Not next to me, you aren’t.” Rick turned back to facing the cave wall, as he shut his eyes tightly– hoping that would fight off the headache he knew was coming on. “You got a whole other side of the cave, so don’t go cozyin’ up t’me.”

 Again this was said with all the contempt he could muster.

 Viss wanted so badly to pounce on him, curling up on top of him just to spite him and his sour attitude. But they also didn’t want him changing his mind about letting them tag along for a while.

 So they returned to their mossy rock and curled up against that, instead. They made sure to blow the grumpy old man a raspberry before closing their eyes.

* * *

And with that both were lulled to sleep by the crackling of flames and nature’s calls. The ache of the day’s journey was forgotten as Rick lost himself to unconsciousness; and just as soon as he had closed his eyes, he was opening them again as this time he was greeted by daylight. Another night without dreams, but this came as no surprise to Rick Mallard.

 The duckman stretched, sitting up as he rubbed his back. He had a feeling he would be missing his bed sooner than later. Looking over, Rick instantly woke up as he noted that his acquaintance was gone. Great, must have got distracted by something and ran off. Hopefully they didn’t forget that they were supposed to be helping him. Though, with his luck, he could easily see himself just getting stranded in the middle of nowhere.

 Rick’s stomach growled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten anything the night before. Though he didn’t want to, he supposed that he would need to break out his rations of dried fruit if he planned on having the energy to do anything.

 The duckman had just gotten out of his sleeping bag and was about to make work of packing up when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

 "Look who’s finally awake!” Viss strolled in with a rope made out of braided vines slung over their shoulder. They thought he said he wanted to be up early. Maybe they had different ideas of what that meant.

 "Hungry?“ Viss stopped a few feet away, swinging the rope-vine around to reveal the end of it threaded with multiple, decent sized fish. They added their signature far-too-wide grin.

 A wave of relief washed over Rick as he eyed the fish– he wouldn’t have to use his reserves after all. His stomach growled again, but he chose to pretend it wasn’t heard as he dug into his bag and brought out his salt and seasoning.

 “Well, don’t just stand there like an idiot. Bring it here.”

 It didn’t take long before they had fish roasting on the fire, Rick rotating it every so often as he gave them a dash of salt and lemon pepper. Viss happily chattered next to him, as they went on and on about how they caught their meal.

 “And then the guy was about to swim away– thought it could hide under a rock. But I saw him! Just a few stabby stabbies, and I added him to the pile!”

 The duckman didn’t respond to the story as he instead took the stick off of the fire and shoved it into Viss’ face.

 “Eat, then we’ll leave.”

 The story came to an abrupt halt when the fish was shoved in Viss’ face. Sure, it smelled great, but they had seen him sprinkle them with all sorts of things. Viss wasn’t stupid, they knew what spices were, but they never had any of them. Mostly because they were for, what their parents used to call them, "the rich and privileged folk”.

 This man did not look very rich nor privileged. His clothes were… modest and well-worn. But he must have come from a pretty impressive place if he had been carrying spices.

 Viss took a cautious nibble… and then ripped into and devoured the rest of it as if they hadn’t eaten in days. It was amazing. Unseasoned fish would never taste good again. The world of the privileged had gotten its hooks into them. Viss had been spoiled forever.

 "Gooh stuphh!“ Viss said through a mouthful of half chewed fish. This guy was one hell of a cook.

 Rick rolled his eyes as he continued to eat his breakfast. Bass wasn’t his favorite fish, but still hit just the right spot that his stomach felt warm and full. It was one of those moments of content that he didn’t realize he had been missing for a long time, a moment where he felt he earned the food he was eating.

 They ate a couple more, and what was left over the ex-merchant rolled up into a few spare pieces of paper from one of his notebooks. It wouldn’t last more than another day, but it was always better to be safe than sorry as far as he was concerned. Packing the fish up with the rest of his things, Rick cleared his throat to get Viss’ attention.

 “Ahem… We’re leaving.”

 As was to be expected, the continued trip consisted of Rick’s silence and Viss’ endless chatter about everything and nothing.

[((Art by Ubfunkey))](https://ubfunkey.tumblr.com/)

 The chatter began to slow along with Viss’ pace the thinner the foliage became. They knew the two of them were nearing the end of the swamp, and Viss was not in a hurry to say goodbye.

 "Hey so listen.” This came after a short, blissful silence. “You comin’ back through this way? In a few days maybe? I could, y'know, guide you through again, if you want. I’ll be here. Any time.”

 Rick, who had side been side eyeing the demon as they spoke up, looked away as he decided on just what he would tell them. Ultimately he decided on the truth.

 “I… don’t know, actually. I plan on going wherever work takes me.”

 "Oh.“

 And the silence that stretched on was a heavy one. Viss figured that had been the less scathing way of saying he wouldn’t be back. They wondered how long it would be before someone else stumbled through the swamp… and how long they’d stay.

 The silence lasted until swampland gave way to sprawling grasslands, a sizable city or town barely visible in the distance.

 "Taa-daa. Here we are, at the end of the swamp, safe and sound.” Viss had made a grand gesture at the distant city, but their tone was lackluster, completely devoid of its usual chipper quality.

 Rick stared at the city that was just a little off, his heart began to race some at the thought that what he found in Amaryllis would make or break his adventure. It sent a pulse of excitement and uncertainty through him, unlike anything he felt before. While Viss was wilting the longer they stood there, Rick seemed to become more invigorated as a look of determination crossed his face.

 That expression fell, however, as he noticed the lizard demon had been staring at him. He tipped his green hat so that it hid his eyes as he awkwardly tried to find a way to end their acquaintanceship.

 “So… I guess this is it.” Rick shifted his hat as he made sure his face was unreadable, before continuing. “You… were more help than I thought you’d be.” He paused. “Thank you.”

 The thank you perked Viss’ mood up slightly, but not a whole lot. It was enough juice to muster a lopsided smile, though.

 "Yeah, guess so. See ya around, pa- oh. I guess I probably won’t. Uh.“ They scratched the back of their head awkwardly. "Well! Thanks for the company. It was nice havin’ you around. Take care. Don’t piss off any more owlbears. Heheh. Heh. Ehhh.”

 But Viss didn’t move, didn’t turn to go back home, just stood there. Making it even more awkward. They would probably watch until he got too far away to see.

 While the tension made Viss stay in place, it was enough to get the duckman moving. With a nod of his head he set off, eyes straight ahead at the city to come as he followed the dirt path. He had only made it a couple feet, however, before he found himself stumbling. Rick jerked his head downward and there he saw the little demon wrapped around his legs.

 “What NOW?!” He growled.

 "PLEASE don’t LEAVE me here! It’s been so LONELY!“ Viss was very obviously on the verge of bawling their eyes out as they gazed up at the duckman with pleading eyes.

 "I’ll be quiet! You won’t even know I’m here! I’ll sleep outside! I’ll even feed and bathe myself! I’m house trained! JUST PLEASE DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT MEEEEE!”

 “Would you… JUST GET OFF ME ALREADY!” Rick squirmed and kicked until he was finally able to get the demon off of him. And still Viss just looked up at him with those big puppy dog eyes. Rick groaned as he looked away, massaging his temples as he tried to think. Weighing the pros and cons, it was a very close position. On one hand, Viss was annoying. They had no account for personal space, and they had slowed him down at almost every turn. Heck, Viss was slowing him down right then. The ex-merchant dared to look at Viss again, and could still see the tears shining in their eyes.

 On the other hand, they WERE helpful. They knew their way through the swamplands, and they had skills at communicating with the wild. Not to mention fighting, which Rick had very little skill in besides the occasional bar brawl. If Viss hadn’t gone in there and wrestled with the owlbear…

 He’d most likely be dead.

 Rick groaned again as he felt the irritating sensation of guilt eating at him. It was with a glare he locked eyes with Viss once more as he came to his decision.

 “ALRIGHT… You can come along.” Viss’ cries of joy and celebration were interrupted by Rick yelling over them. “HOWEVER, you WILL do as I say. GOT IT?”

 Viss shot up off the ground, stood stiff as a board, their expression comically determined and serious. They gave an equally stiff salute.

 "Yes SIR!“ The stance was lost then, staying that still just didn’t suit them. "You mind if I call you sir? It seems more professional than ‘hey, you’.”

 “I rather you didn’t.” The duckman was already moving, with Viss loyally behind him. His grip tightened around the straps of his rucksack as his gaze stayed latched onto the city ahead. He continued. “Just call me Rick, alright? ‘Sir’ would just make this weird.”

 Not to mention either made him seem like a snooty rich guy or into some dubious activities…

 "Rick! I like it.“ Viss felt very successful, they’d gotten him to tell them his name. He had also agreed to let them tag along, sure, but this seemed like a more personal victory.

 And so, the two continued on their way, forward to Amaryllis, a town of hope, and new beginnings.There they would find their next adventure.

 Rick just hoped he wouldn’t end up regretting it all in the end.


	2. Work in All the Wrong Places

It was a little after noon when Rick Mallard and Viss had reached the entrance of the city. Amaryllis was bustling with music and chatter in the air, as the two became one with the rest of the crowd of people coming and going– the knight on guard at the arched opening merely watching everyone with a bored expression. Once inside Amaryllis’ walls, tents and stands broke out along the long, winding cobbled road. Rick looked from side to side as they walked, keeping an eye and ear out for anything that might catch his specific interests.

The lizard demon, meanwhile, was enthralled by every new sight and sound. While Rick walked as straight as he could down the path, Viss darted left and right as they ‘ooed’ and ‘awwed’ at the booths. A giant woman smiled her brightest fanged smile at the demon as she showed off her swords for sale; the dwarf man across the way boasted about the quality of his jewelry. It was when Viss dashed by again that the duckman spoke up loud enough for them to hear.

“Stay close or you’ll get lost.”

Viss, not paying attention in the slightest, ran right past him as they attempted to go up to the man selling large pieces of candied meat on a stick, mouth watering. The lizard demon didn’t get far before they were yanked forcefully by the tail, Rick’s golden eyes piercing daggers at them.

“What did I JUST say? I thought you promised you’d listen!”

“’Stay close or you’ll get lost.’ See, I’m listening! It’s just this place is so–”

The look on Rick’s face shut Viss up. They huffed in resignation.

“Fine. We’ll do it YOUR way. Y'know, the boring way.”

This was meant to offend, but Rick only nodded.

“Good. Because this is your last warning; you run off again, you’re on your own.” Rick was really only letting them tag along out of pity, after all. Why should he care if they stuck around or not?

This got through to Viss, however. Their grumpy expression fell into a look of fear and surprise. This place was amazing with all of it people and sounds and smells, but the thought of being lost and alone in it was terrifying. Yes. Viss would stick close from now on.

Maybe a little bit too close. A flyer tacked beside a shop door caught his eye, and when he stopped to read it, Viss plowed into him, almost knocking him over.

“Not. THAT. Close.” The duckman hissed through his teeth.

”Sorry, sorry,” Viss cried out apologetically as they instantly backed up. “Close but not THAT close– see, I’m learning!”

The lizard demon’s eyes found their way to the flyer in the other’s hand. While Viss did pick up words like ‘Amaryllis’ and ‘shopping’, most of it was unintelligible to them. Viss tilted their head quizzically.

“Whazzat say?”

“Not much, “ Rick replied with a grumble. “Mostly just says we’re in the festival’s shopping district. Further down is where we want to go.”

And further down was where they went. Past the sellers and their wares. Past the dancers, the large food booths and the community tables. All the way in the back and almost near the wall’s exit on the other side was when Rick Mallard finally found what he was looking for. Where before had been an even mix of citizens and their families, the people on the far end of the road were different. Where before they would carry their goods and flags, here the people carried swords and weapons of all kinds. These were the adventurers coming from far and wide, looking for ways to fill their coin purses with gold and their hearts with victory.

Rick Mallard had hopes that he could do the same.

Viss had never seen this many people in one place before. While they were looking forward to seeing this mysterious job Rick had mentioned as his reason for coming there, they also weren’t sure how he was going to find his employer in the mess of people.

Their concerns were confirmed in the way the duckman looked around, seemingly aimlessly, as if he were looking for someone to ask for directions. Viss dared to tap him on the shoulder.

“Uhh so. Mind letting me in on what exactly we’re supposed to be lookin’ for? I might be able to help if I knew, y'know.”

Rick had opened his bill to reply when he instantly shut it close again; he jerked his head towards a direction in front of him. Through the crowd a woman cry could be heard.

“Help wanted, simple job!” Rick and Viss locked eyes on the light grey lizard woman shouting, she continued– hands cupped around her snout as she went on. “Retrieve owed payments!”

The duckman rushed towards her stand, hands digging into his satchel as he did so. Viss could hardly keep up with his quick waddles. Once they both arrived, Rick had a small card in his hand that he was passing to the startled employer.

“Rick Mallard: adventurer and merchant. I hear you’re looking for a debt collector?”

The woman look the card and glanced at it, but seemed much more interested in looking Rick and Viss over instead. She did not look impressed. Not a good sign.

“Sorry boys, I was looking for someone a little more, you know, threatening. You two don’t look like you could convince a toddler out of his lollipop.”

She gave the card back, and went back to shouting for help, as if they weren’t still standing right there.

“Hey!” Viss chirped, with a scowl. “I might be short, but I’ve taken down guys ten times YOUR size! I–”

Rick, now in a rather sour mood, grabbed them by a shoulder and began dragging them away.

“Nevermind. We’ll find something else. Not worth our time anyway.”

As optimistic as the duckman had been (whether it was genuine or just by pure spite), it had begun to drain the more time had passed. Their second attempt wasn’t any better, as a dark skinned elven man hadn’t even listened to Rick’s pitch before he was pushed aside for another. Job after job rejected them: even the more simplier of tasks. Rick had years of experience handling money, he could be trusted to guard a measly bag of gold to bargain for some stupid heiress!

It was nearly sunset when the two found a bench and sat down, as booths were being packed for the night– and Rick Mallard hadn’t even gotten close to landing them a single job.

Viss gave the duckman a sympathetic look as he rubbed his eyes in frustration.

“Hey now, no need t’sweat pal. I’m sure there’s gotta be somebody out there that wants us. That witch lady seemed nice enough!”

“We aren’t killing a dragon,” was the blunt retort given. Rick looked over at the demon with tired eyes. “Not even for medicine. There has to be something more… reasonable.”

The more Viss thought about it, the more they began to agree.

“Yeah, I guess you’re not exactly the dragon-slaying type.” Viss dug a wad of earwax out of their ear and flicked it away. “Now what?”

But Rick didn’t know. He had always heard Amaryllis’ festivals were the place to go when you were looking for work. He supposed he would just try again the following day. A quick glance around revealed a nearby pub, however. Rick stood, shoving his hands in his pockets, and headed for it.

“Come on, I’ll buy us both a beer. I could use one.”

The lizard demon didn’t need to be told twice as they followed Rick, scurrying on all fours before catching up and walking upright with him.

* * *

It wasn’t long before they came upon the small building squeezed between two others, with a sign hanging that simply read ‘Ali’s Place’. While the fall air had been cool outside, inside the pub was aglow with warm fires and the movement of people. Chatter surrounded them as they made it to the back of the bar, a corner booth just out of the way of most of the jovial drinkers. While the other people, all shapes and sizes, had smiles and good cheer…

Rick just looked forlorn was he plopped himself down onto the wooden seat.

Before Viss could comfort their new friend, they were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

“You two look terrible.”

Rick propped his head up on a hand as he looked up at the new arrival. It was a plump human woman, long hair in a bun as she was busy pulling a notepad out of her apron pocket. The duckman scoffed lightly.

“Thanks.”

“Eh, I didn’t mean any harm ‘bout it. Don’t worry. Just not used t’seein’ that this time of year.” The woman’s gruff tone turned softer. “But you’re here, and I bet I can guess whatcha want.”

“Beer.” Rick replied, not giving her the chance. He glanced over at his partner, momentarily wondering if giving Viss anything was actually the smartest idea, before quickly deciding he didn’t care of the consequences. “Same for them.”

“Just what I thought you’d say.” Ali wrote down the order. “I’ll get that for ya lickety split.”

And just as soon as she appeared she was gone.

Viss took this opportunity to get a good look at the other people in the place. It was pretty packed, and why wouldn’t it be? This seemed to be a busy town in general. Viss wasn’t used to so many people… or any people for that matter.

“Sheesh, you ever feel like you’re a little under dressed?” They mumbled.

“Nope.” Rick grumbled back.

Ah, of course. Viss sighed loudly and over dramatically– obviously bored– leaning on the bar in the same manner Rick was doing. Except their two fingers began tapping against the bar top, claws making a distinct clicking sound.

Rick’s eye began to twitch. Was that really necessary? He threw Viss a glare but it went completely unnoticed. He could take no more, reaching out and slamming his hand down on top of the clicking fingers. Finally. The sound had been stopped.

But now Viss was grinning at him, brow raised. That was when he realized how intimate the gesture appeared; he whipped his hand away as if it had been bitten. Ugh.

“Just. Don’t do that. It’s irritating.” Rick sighed in relief as their beverages were set on the table in front of them.

“And here ya go, two beers. That’ll be 8 coppers, hun.” Ali stood up, taking out her notepad again. “You wanna pay that now, or need me t’make a tab for ya?”

The duckman was already digging through his satchel, looking for his coin purse, when the barmaid asked.

“Here.” Rick put the money on the table. “We won’t be staying long.”

“Suit yourself.” The owner shrugged, jotting down that she had been paid before quickly sweeping up the coins into her apron pocket. “If ya do want anything else, just give me a holler.”

Rick rolled his eyes at that. Oh no, they wouldn’t be having anything more than what they ordered. There wasn’t any reason to. Rick just wanted to partake in a single indulgence before he got the both of them out of town and found a spot to camp for the night. Then he assumed they would just have a repeat of their day come morning.

Probably even down to the constant dismissals.

Rick sighed slowly, looking all the more drained. He eyed the two drinks before pushing the one farthest from him to the demon on his left. He didn’t say anything as he went to take his first sip. Alcohol had never been a pleasant taste to him, but the way it bubbled in his bill was oddly satisfying and took off a bit of his edge.

From the corner of his eye he could see Viss wasn’t quite as sure what to do.

“You do realize you’re not supposed to stare at it, right?”

Cups weren’t new to Viss. Cups made out of clear glass? Now that was new. The way the amber colored liquid bubbled, reflecting the dull lights in the bar… it was beautiful. Hypnotizing, almost.

“Huh?” Rick had said something. “Oh, yeah. Absolutely.” Hopefully that answered whatever he’d said. Viss tipped the cup– it was a lot heavier than they were expecting– and took a swig.

“Eh.” They shrugged. “A little weak, but not bad.”

The duckman scoffed at this in genuine amusement, which caused Viss to smile widely. For the first time things seemed like they were going good between them. Maybe, just maybe, this was a sign that Rick would actually start seeing them as a friend! The thought alone made the demon take another happy chug.

Rick was just about to take another sip of his own drink when a call from a nearby table caught him by surprise.

“Ey, ey you! Duck!”

Rick side eyed the human that was trying to get his attention. Another adventurer, there was no doubt of that as he noticed the weapon next to the feet of the man’s chair. Rick ignored him, which just made the adventurer more obnoxious as he tried calling him again.

“C’mon, duck, I know ya can hear me!”

“Could be deaf,” the dwarf next to him put in his own thoughts on the matter as he absentmindedly scratched his beard. His friend brushed it off with a wave of his hand, his gauntlet hand heavily smacking the table on the way down. It went ignored, even as it shook the extra empty mugs that littered the table surrounding them.

“Nah, Tor, ‘e can hear me. Saw ‘im chatting up the barmaid with my own eyes!”

Tor meanwhile just shrugged.

“Don’t need ears to talk.”

“Now yer jus’ talking out yer ass. Look, I’ll show ya!”

“Sorrin…”

The dwarf’s warning was disregarded as the human, Sorrin, clambered noisily out of his seat. His armor clacked on the wooden floor as he made his way towards the new arrivals– giving a burp. Rick glared as he could see the man making his way nearer, realizing that there was no way they could avoid confrontation.

Rick put on his customer service voice in an attempt to get it over with.

“YES, may I HELP you?”

Despite all his years as a merchant, he was never able to master it.

Sorrin turned back to his pal, gesturing to Rick in an overly theatrical motion. He was very obviously drunk.

“See, he c'n hear me just fine! He was jus’ ignorin’ me!” He turned back to Rick, and Rick frowned back at him.

“Ay… where’re yer wings, huh? Aincha’ got ‘em? Aincha one of them Avians?”

Rick grimaced and turned back around toward the bar. Great. This again.

“Does it LOOK like I have wings?” he grumbled. Meanwhile, Viss watched with growing agitation. Who did this jerk think he was, picking a fight with their new pal, just because?

“Hey! How about you mind your own business, jackass?” they hissed. Rick perked up out of surprise, throwing Viss a wild glare.

“Don’t bother, they’re not worth it.” Rick mumbled just loud enough for Viss to hear. “Besides, I’m used to it. They’ll get bored and go away.”

The human, however, just seemed more entertained.

“Thas right, keep yer pet in check, duckie. It’s rude to interupt.” Propping himself against the table top, Sorrin squinted at Rick as if trying to put together a puzzle and failing. “But yeah, come t’think of it, the rest of ye don’t look right neither.”

Sorrin turned back as he called to his buddy.

“Whatcha think, mate, sickly?”

The dwarf groaned, sinking into his chair from both his embarrassment and intoxication.

“Come off, leave the bastard alone.”

“Naw, not yet, Tor. We’re conductin’ research. Yer momma ever tell ya ‘bout healthy curiosity? It’s fer science.” Burping again, Sorrin turned back to Rick with a lopsided grin. “Now see, I think yer just a broken birdie, yeah? Got yer wings clipped fer causin’ trouble.”

The duckman felt himself getting angrier. While it was true he had dealt with comments about his appearance before, none had ever been so brash as to bring it to that level. It was true, many centuries ago when his people were first evolving it was a common practice to cut the wings of Avian prisoners so they wouldn’t be able to escape. It was very similar to practices used on animals to keep them from flying away. But it had been declared inhumane long enough that even if the duckman had been a prisoner, it would never have been used.

Although, a clipped wing was completely different than having no wings at all. Either the guy was too drunk to think straight, or just an idiot.

Rick Mallard was willing to bet the latter.

Sorrin continued his prattling, completely unaware of Rick’s assessment.

“Yeah, a crook aintcha? Sorry t’say, little duckie, but this place don’t serve no criminals.”

And it was in that moment the duckman found himself startled as yet another stranger had the audacity to snatch something from him. Sorrin, still with that obnoxious shit eating grin, yanked Rick’s beer from his hand and with a good few gulps downed it. The bar went silent in awe and fear– excitement gone as it was replaced with a heavy cloud. Rick watched wide eyed as the human wiped the brew’s foam from his lips and slammed the mug onto the table.

Sorrin laughed.

“Now whatcha think ‘bout THAT?”

The pub faded away. The only things that existed in Rick’s world now were him, an empty glass, and the asshole who had just drunk his beer.

“I paid for that…” Rick mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else. That simple line set his blood to boil, his fists clenching, his teeth grinding.

“Huh? What was that?” Sorrin goaded.

“I said, I PAID FOR THAT!” With one well-aimed swing, Rick the pacifist slugged the obnoxious human square in his face, sending him sprawling.

The bar turned into a confused uproar as the people watched the duckman tackle and start punching Sorrin in the face. Rick would have continued, but – as most friend tend to do– Tor immediately lept from his chair the moment the first punch was thrown, wanting to save the fallen man. The dwarf dashed around the table where he grabbed Rick by the back of the shirt and dangled him in the air. Rick swiped at the beefy arm, as getting grabbed by the collar was beginning to choke him. He coughed and sputtered for air, even as he was still ready to avenge his beer.

Viss immediately found themselves jumping from the bench, amber liquid spilling everywhere as the demon went to save their own friend. Viss growled as they jumped onto the dwarf’s face, clawing and biting wherever they could. Tor dropped Rick as he went to fight off his bigger concern.

Right when Tor had peeled Viss off his face, the dwarf was greeted by a very unwelcomed ram of Rick’s head. He ‘oofed’ as the air was forced out of his lungs. Tor tried to find his balance as he instead tripped over his human pal, causing him to collapse and slam face first into the ground.

Viss had barely gotten back to their feet before they were being dragged by Rick towards the pub’s exit.

“C’mon, we’re outta here!”

Viss didn’t need to be told twice! Running on all fours as Rick waddled holding onto his hat and bags, they had barely made it towards the door before both demon and duck were thrown back in surprise. The doors slammed open and there, swords drawn and in royal armor, was the city’s task force.

Both Rick and Viss took a step back and rose their hands in front of them in a sign of surrender. Someone must have alerted these guys while they were tussling.

“Eh heh. I don’t suppose it would help if we said they started it, would it?” Viss croaked with a hopeful but sheepish grin.

It didn’t. Some time later, Rick glared at nothing through the cell bars. He could see a guard on watch absentmindedly trimming their nails as another was asleep in a corner. The stone walls echoed with the sound of the guard’s snoring, yet Rick had other things on his mind. He would probably never find work in the town now. Coming there had been a mistake.  From somewhere behind him, he heard Viss snicker.

“You really kicked that jerk’s butt. Did you see the look on his face? Before you pummeled it into the floor with your fist, I mean.”

Rick didn’t see the humor like they did. The duckman gripped the bars on the cell tighter as he rested his head against it in shame.

“Yeah, I saw it.”

Rick could hear Viss shuffling, no doubt sitting up on the stone bench provided for their bedding.

“You don’t exactly sound too thrilled by it. I know I was! After seein’ ya stink at handling owlbears, I thought… ya know, you just wasn’t so good at fighting.”

“I prefer not to fight stupid animals whenever I can,” was Rick’s mumbled response.

“But those guys?”

“…They were just stupid.”

He turned from the bars and made his way to his own bench and sat down. Rick felt far older than middle aged as his body screamed at him from exhaustion. He rubbed his neck where he had been choked, as Viss spoke up again.

“We really gotta work on gettin’ you to lighten up, pal. It’s not all bad!”

The duckman locked eyes with the smiling demon, looking sunken and sad.

“We’re in prison.”

“Yeah, but it could be worse!” Viss chipped in.

Rick groaned at this at he buried his face into his hands. Despite him being annoyed, it was enough to make Viss teeter with joy. An annoyed duck was better than a depressed one, after all. They hopped from their seat as they made their way over towards their friend. Viss plopped down next to him and patted his back in sympathy.

“Seriously, don’t worry about it. Things tend to work out in the end, you’ll see!”

Rick didn’t see, though. They were in prison, all the items in the world he owned confiscated by the city’s police. They didn’t have enough for bail, which most likely meant they would have to take the matter to court. And while the human had been the one harassing him, it was Rick who had thrown the first punch. No judge would be on his side. At the most they would remain in prison, forced to do service until they could accumulate enough hours to equate towards paying their freedom. At the least they would simply be kicked out of town– never allowed to enter and look for work again.

Either way, Rick Mallard had lost every chance at getting a new start on life.

“Maybe I should’ve sticked to running a business.” Rick mumbled pathetically.

Viss didn’t get a chance to respond as the silence in the room was broken by the sound of a door creaking open. In entered another guard, carrying Rick’s bags and the demon’s few belongings.

“Alright, Mr. Mallard,” The woman called, waking up the snoozing guard as they put their stuff down on the table. “Bail’s been paid and you two are free to go.”

When the door was opened, they didn’t leave right away. Rick stood there, staring at their belongings on the table as if it was some sort of elaborate trap. Who would have paid their bail? No one knew them there. And it wasn’t as if they had made a very good impression in this town. Something didn’t feel right.

“Who was it?” Rick asked cautiously as they gathered up their belongings (Rick taking extra care to make sure nothing of his was missing).

“He’s waiting out in the reception room. I guess you’ll get to thank him in person.”

While the ex-merchant was engrossed with checking his goods, Viss found their curiosity eating at them at who the mystery man could be. Peeking their head out the door, the lizard demon could see a reception desk filled with all sorts of odds and ends. And there, gently tapping their painted nails against the top, was the fanciest person Viss had ever seen. Tall and slender, the elven man was decked with layers of clothes and trinkets. He sparkled with a pastel rainbow of colors, practically shining in place as he hummed jovially to himself.

((Art by [Leedoobles](https://leedoobles.tumblr.com/post/167366740535/commission-for-darkwingsnark-of-their-lovely-oc) ))

Viss was so mesmerized that they didn’t even notice Rick walked past.

The mystery man, however, did.

“My stars, there you two are!”

His face lit up as he waited eagerly for the two to make their way towards him. The duckman raised a brow, becoming even more confused as for why this stranger would bail them out. Rick hadn’t even begun his interrogation before the mystery man spoke up again.

“You’re not hurt, are you? No broken bones, no bruises? I was so worried when I heard just how large those men were!”

Viss had to suppress their laugh as the stranger started touching and prodding Rick, lifting his face and turning his neck back and forth to inspect him. Pissed off from his personal space being intruded upon, Rick slapped the hand away as the stranger gasped in surprise.

Rick wanted answers.

“Enough- how’d you hear about THAT?”

“Oh,” the man exclaimed, his blue eyes lighting up. “I was heading for ‘Ali’s’ when I heard the commotion. Quite the scene, indeed! I asked around, heard about the impressive tussle, and just KNEW you two were perfect for the job!”

Rick was just getting more confused.

“Job, WHAT job? Just who ARE you!”

A dainty hand rose to cover the elf’s mouth as if he was surprised, and he gasped lightly.

“Oh, my! I must have left my manners at home. My name is Jasper. Jasper O'kamåne, the third. And I need you two to assist me in retrieving a nifty little trinket, nothing more! It pays handsomely, I assure you.”

Jasper stuck his hand out.

“And you are…?”

Viss snickered and rolled their eyes, shaking their head.

“Good luck gettin’ his name, pal; it took me an entire DAY t–”

Rick took the elf’s hand in his and shook it firmly.

“I’m Rick. This is Viss. We’ll do it.”

The demon stared dumbly at the two, as Jasper led them out of the guard station and into the night air. It was strange feeling isolated when surrounded by others– not a feeling Viss was used to. Viss wilted as they walked behind the two city folk, while their new boss chattered on happily.

“Please, let me set you two up at an inn. You’ll need plenty of rest– it’s going to be a long journey!”

“What exactly ARE we retrieving, anyway? You never said.” Rick interjected, a bit of pep in his step for the first time since he left home. (A bed, just what his back screamed for!) Jasper waved off the question with a laugh.

“Now now, we can discuss that in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely EXHAUSTED!” He wiped his brow dramatically, despite the fact his lavender face hadn’t a single drop of sweat. “There’s plenty of time to talk about the who’s and what’s, as well as payment.”

The word ‘payment’ was all the duckman needed to hear to quiet all other questions about the matter. Alright, if the man wanted to give them a good night’s sleep on TOP of a job, who was he to argue? He came for a job, and there this man was with one. Still, that left both Rick and Viss wondering…

Just who WAS Jasper O'kamåne, anyway?


	3. Head in the Clouds

Rick woke with a smile as the sun hit his face. He laid there, sighing as he let himself sink into the comfort of the bed. While it had only been a week since he started his journey, it was the first time he had slept surrounded by so much luxury. When they had been offered free board at an inn from their mysterious new employer, Rick had been more than ready to have something cheap. It’s what he would have paid for after all.

The duckman’s eyes traveled over the room, noticing all the knickknacks and lacey frivolities amongst the double beds. It wasn’t needed, but he supposed it did add a certain hominess to the place. It was nice.

Especially because he wasn’t paying for it.

Rick’s good spirits began to slip some as it dawned on him that the other bed was empty. So was the rest of the room, for that matter. The ex-merchant didn’t know if he should take Viss’ absence as a blessing or a sign of something wrong.

He decided a curse as he finally noticed unusual noises coming from the washroom. Sitting up with a groan, Rick ran his fingers through his tussled tufts of grey hair.

“Viss,” he called out to the empty room. When he didn’t get an answer he got out of bed and began shuffling his way towards the bathroom. He called again. “Hey, kid, you in there?”

Still no answer, and Rick began to feel uneasy--the danger alarms blared silently in his head. He inched closer to the door, his every sense tuned to his surroundings. He grabbed a broom that had been leaning against the wall, kicked the door open, ready for--

Ready for anything but that. Rick's first reaction was to shield his eyes, as Viss was on the toilet ... except they weren't actually using it. Not like you were supposed to, anyway. The lizard thing was perched on the seat like a gargoyle, back facing the door, pupils reduced to slivers with shock, cheeks bulging with what could only be toilet water. Rick thought he might be sick when Viss gulped the water down in a few swallows.

"Hey! Check this out!" Viss hopped off the toilet so Rick could get a good look at it. "Free water bowl! And you haven't even SEEN the best part! Watch!"

Viss reached up and pressed the handle, and the toilet flushed. They looked back at Rick, their face filled with excited expectation, as if they had just shown him the meaning of life, and was waiting for him to be just as blown away.

"Free refills, too! Boy, the rich really know how to live."

Rick Mallard just stared in disgust, looking between the demon and the toilet. Finally he could take no more as he turned around with an ungracefully jerk. Taking a moment to swallow and settle his stomach, he spoke slowly and evenly-- even as his insides screamed in repulsion.

“That… isn’t a water bowl.”

Viss scrunched their brow, looking at the thing they had been drinking out of.

“It isn’t? You sure?”

He was very sure. However, they didn’t get to continue their toilet talk as a sudden knock on the door took their attention. Thanking whatever gods were listening, Rick took the distraction as he bolted for the door. Opening it a tad, the duckman was greeted by the wide smile of the Innkeeper.

“Good MORNING, Mr. Mallard! I hope I didn’t wake you.”

Rick realized he was still in his nightgown, as he hid himself a bit more behind the door. He cleared his throat.

“No, it’s fine, just got up.” He quickly changed the subject. “Did you need something?”

“Oh, yes, a message came for you!” The plump woman’s smile fell as she patted her dress. “I know it’s here somewhere… Aha! Here it is!”

Rick opened the door a little wider as he accepted the envelope. Written in ornate golden ink was his and Viss’ names. He raised a brow at it, even as the woman continued prattling.

“A page delivered it just a moment ago. My, what a spry young thing! He came in and out before I could even give a ‘hello’!”

“He didn’t say anything,” the Avian inquired, already opening the letter. 

“Didn’t have time to, I suppose. Well, in any case, I only wanted to make sure you got your letter. Let me know if you two need anything else!”

Rick gave a nod and a grunt as the innkeeper went off to take care of her other duties. Closing the door behind him, Rick’s eyes darted back and forth as he read over the note. By this time Viss had enough curiosity to peek their head out of the bathroom.

“Whazzat?”

“Seems we got a call from our new boss.” He put the note down on the table as he went to his bed, and pulled his bags out from under it. Rick continued talking even as he began pulling out his clothes. “Get ready, we’re leaving in thirty minutes.”

* * *

 

It was forty minutes later when the duo made it to their destination. Rick checked the letter again, making sure it matched the hanging sign. ‘Alastair’s Fine Eatery’ swung in the slight breeze. 

“...You sure this is the right place?” Viss asked cautiously.

“Yep.” Rick’s grip on his bag tightened. “C’mon, let’s get this over with.”

The duckman couldn’t blame the demon for feeling out of place, for the moment they walked inside they were greeted by the tinkling of piano keys and the onslaught of frills. Yet again they were entering the world of the rich, as they awkwardly made their way towards the reception desk. There a host greeted them with disdain.

“I’m sorry, sirs, but we have a strict ‘no shirt, no service’ policy. You must leave immediately.”

Rick eyed Viss, who shrunk behind him even more, as if to covered their lack of clothes. The duckman glared as he held out the letter in front of him, having lost his patience with the rude host.

“Look, we were told to meet a Mister  O'kamåne. Is he here?”

The man's unfriendly expression suddenly changed, giving way to surprise, and then perhaps embarrassment. It seemed he recognized that name, even before seeing the fancy letter.

"Oh! I, see. Well..." He glanced around quickly, as if about to do something illegal and unheard of, before forcing an obviously fake smile, and bowing curtly.

"Then welcome. You will find Mr. O'kamåne right through there..." he pointed toward a doorway. "but, please, if you could, try to avoid direct eye contact with the other... guests. They may not be used to your kind here."

Rick grunted out a thanks, though he honestly didn’t think the host deserved it, as he made his way towards the back of the restaurant. Many of the patrons made a point to not look at the two of them; however, some weren’t as polite as they stared and whispered. The duckman made a point to fiercely stare back at them all-- just out of pure spite. 

He also noticed that Viss walked closer to him than he was comfortable with. Rick decided this was a rare exception and wouldn’t say anything about it.

It didn’t take long until there were at the back of the restaurant, and there, dressed just as glamourous as the night before, was the man they were looking for. Jasper wiped his lips daintily, before welcoming his guests.

“Mmm, oh goody! You came just in time!” He leaned in closer as Rick and Viss sat down. He continued in a whisper. “I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered something special for us for brunch. “ Jasper ended his sentence with a wink-- hinting that it would be quite the surprise.

Meanwhile he sat back up and started to pour them both some tea.

“But where are my manners, how are you? Did you sleep well?” He frowned slightly as he put the teapot down, going for the cream. “I do apologize, I wished I could have acquired something more suitable-- but it was a last minute find, seeing as there weren’t any spare rooms available at the palace.”

“BETTER?!” Viss gasped in bewilderment. The inn had been the fanciest place they had ever seen!

Rick, however, was more interested in another part he said.

“Palace?”

"Mm-hmm." He replied, simply, taking a sip of his tea. When he was finished, he brought it down and placed a hand on his chest.

"Oh, did I not tell you? I suppose it must have slipped my mind. I am a ROYAL bard. I work for the King and Queen themselves, as did my parents, and their parents, and goodness, THEIR parents, and-- well, you get the idea. Not that any of that is relevant at the moment."

Viss wasn't super impressed by this, but Rick was pretty intrigued. The numbers he had expected to receive from this job were rising steadily the more the fancy man spoke.

“Alright,” Rick crossed his arms against his chest as he leaned back some in his seat, “then just what IS relevant?”

“Yeah, “ Viss piped in. “If you work for fancy folk, why the heck do you need US?”

Jasper was just about to answer, when he instead noticed the waiters coming with their meal. He smiled.

“Ah, and there’s brunch! Please, eat up. I don’t know about you, but I’m absolutely famished!”

The job’s importance was completely lost on the lizard demon the moment the waiters were close enough. Delicious aromas compelled them to stand in their chair, as a lanky waiter placed in front of each of them a covered plate. In unison the server triad lifted the metal lids.

Crepes covered in caviar greeted them, and Viss could tell there were other goodies inside of it. Two poached duck eggs were next to the crepes, sprinkled with some type of seasoning.They were yet again surprised when another waiter laid a plate of pastries in the middle of the table for the three of them to share.

This was the most food Viss had seen in a long time.

Rick wasn’t as impressed as he frowned at the eggs, quickly sliding them to an ecstatic Viss. If Jasper was insulted by this gesture it didn’t show, as he waved his hands.

“Please, don’t wait on my account-- bon appétit!”

Viss didn’t need to be told twice as they immediately stuffed their face into the food. Rick was a bit more cautious as he cut a small piece of the inside of the crepe, taking a taste test. The duckman sighed in relief as he was greeted by the taste of lobster. Oh good, he thought it might have been some other kind of meat. Taking a bigger bite the second time, he decided it was time to stop beating around the bush and get to business.

“So, you said last night you wanted us to help you get something?”

Jasper finished chewing his scone as he perked up cheerfully.

“Oh yes, indeed, I did mention that!” He placed the rest of his treat back onto his plate before bending over to his left. Pulling a carpet bag into his lap, he rummaged inside it. 

“No, not that. Where could it-- aha!” The elf’s painted lips broke out into a grin as he pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment from the bag. With another flick of his wrist, he was unrolling it to show off what looked like an old withered map.

“Gentleman, what I have here is the map to find the resting place of THE Alanis Frideswide!”

Viss stopped stuffing their face long enough to ask: “Who?”

Jasper’s eyes opened widely in surprise.

“You don’t know?!”

“No.” Rick added. “So how about enlightening us?”

While still looking a bit taken back, Jasper’s eyes lit up as a giddiness bubbled inside of him.

“Oh, I most certainly will! She just happened to be the greatest bard the Eletis Empire has ever seen! There are books written about how her music was known to settle disputes between kingdoms, to charm the most stubborn of people into stopping their petty feuds. Alanis Frideswide was a legend that other bards could only aspire to be!”

Rick raised a brow.

“Yeah, okay, but just why would you want to find her grave?”

The elf leaned forward to whisper.

“Because when she died, she requested that her magical lute and sheet music be buried with her. I want it for my collection, to finally complete what none of my ancestors have ever done. I want to unlock the secrets of her music to bring back her songs for a new generation!”

It was in that moment Rick Mallard decided Jasper  O'kamåne was insane.

"Oh, a collector!" Viss was finally interested in more than just the food. "I'm a collector, too." 

Viss beamed at the man, and he smiled politely back.

"Oh, really! Imagine the coincidence. And what do you collect?"

Viss was hoping he'd ask. They dug around in their meager clothing until they found what they were looking for, and then shoved it in his face, proudly.

"Skulls! This one's from a rat. I carry it everywhere."

Jasper recoiled, a wince clearly visible on his face.

"Oh! That's... " His eyes flicked over to Rick for a second before returning to the ghastly bauble. "Creative! Certainly. Now! We've been acquainted, discussed the details..." Jasper rolled up his map, and began tucking it back into his bag.

"What say you, hm? Are you on board? Oh! But please, finish your meal, no rush, no rush!"

Rick was halfway done with his crepes, and would certainly like to finish them before they left. However, there were still things he wanted to get settled.

“There’s still a few details I want to know. To start: payment.”

Jasper merely waved this off.

“Oh, money is no problem as far as I’m concerned. Name a price.”

Yep, this man was definitely crazy. But if he was willing to pay Rick whatever he wanted, it was time for him to bargain.

“100 gold,” A pause. “A week.” 

“Done,” the elf replied, in between bites.

“And all other trip expenses not deducted from our pay.” Rick added, wanting to see how far he could push the man. Jasper merely laughed.

“Ha! But of course, I was already planning on doing that, my friend. I would never make you pay for my lavish lifestyle. Good heavens, no!”

The Avian nodded, very much pleased.

“Alright, good. Now I think we really do have everything covered.”

“Wonderful! Simply wonderful” Jasper clapped joyfully, equally pleased that everything was in order. “Oh, you two won’t regret this-- i promise! After we eat, we’ll set to leave immediately!”

* * *

 

Even the transport carriage was fancy and expensive-looking, adorned with just as many flashy colors as the elf who presumably owned it. The seats were plush and comfortable-looking, and there wasn't a speck of dirt or grime on the entire thing. It looked out of place in front of the restaurant, and it wasn't even a poor part of the city!

Despite having just gorged themselves on food, Viss was eyeing the creatures that would be pulling the carriage. Two large, seemingly flightless birds with powerful legs and large, taloned feet stood, patiently waiting-- their large-beaked heads snapping around to view their surroundings every now and then.

Those things could feed someone for weeks.

"Fascinating creatures, aren't they?" Jasper was suddenly right beside Viss, making them jump. The royal bard continued:

"Gastornis. They were thought to have gone extinct at one point, you know. Still a bit on the rare side, but thriving in some parts of the world!" Jasper had prattled on as if he either didn't notice or didn't care he had just startled Viss.

"Yeah, they're somethin' alright." Viss mumbled.

The elf carried on, gently cuddling the head of the steed closest to him.

“Oh, ol’ girl, you and Mel are just going to ADORE getting to stretch those legs of yours!”

“Careful, sir,” Jasper looked up at the elven coach speaking to him, she went on with a deadpan expression: “Thalia has been in a nipping mood lately.”

Jasper gasped, gently putting a hand to his chest as he used the other to continue to stroke the gastornis. 

“Surely you jest, Yavanna! My girl would NEVER nip at her daddy! Isn’t that right, baby girl?” He added as he went back to nuzzling his bird.

Rick Mallard, who had been watching the scene with boredom, finally reached his limit at his boss referring to himself as ‘daddy’. Crossing his arms, the duckman decided it was time to break this up.

“Yeah yeah, they’re cute. But if it’s alright with you, Mr. O’ka måne, I rather get going.”

Jasper nodded.

“You’re so very right, Mr. Mallard. Better to not burn away the hours, as they say. To the next town and onward!”

And onward they went. It didn’t take long before the carriage had reached the city’s walls, and soon the trio were saying farewell to Amaryllis altogether. While Rick didn’t enjoy the constant feeling of bouncing in place, he could appreciate how much time was being saved. Hours flew by as the birds pulled them; they were even able to get through Viss’ swamp in relatively no time at all.

Viss stuck their head out the window to wave goodbye to their home, and Rick couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Jasper thought it was charming and did the same.

That was something Rick was quickly finding out about the guy: he liked to call things ‘quaint’ and ‘whimsical’. He also never shut up, as Jasper found himself able to talk about anything and everything. Rick had a feeling he just really enjoyed the sound of his own voice, as he filled every moment with his prattling.

It was easy to tune out, though, and while Jasper and Viss conversed along the way, he only had to throw in a grunt every so often to keep them satisfied. By the end of the day they had made it to another village-- where the rich elf informed them they were staying for the night.

The following eight days were the same. They would wake, the coach would get the steeds ready and restock while the three others ate, and then they were back on the road again. By the third day, however, Rick Mallard decided he had enough of the scenery and had bought a book to save his sanity. His heart ached some at the 20 silver pieces spent, but he figured it was worth it as he would make it back (and then some).

Besides, never hurt to learn a new language.

Whiles Rick found himself fascinated by thieves cant, Viss had been busy making friends with their boss. Sure, the guy was a bit flashy and tended to scream at the mere sight of a spider… But the demon found him nice! Jasper was doing well at filling the void Viss had felt in their heart from all the years of being alone. And having somebody that happily answered all their questions was a nice change of pace too!

Although, the more Viss learned about Jasper and his life at the palace… the more the fact Rick remained quiet bothered them. Viss had, in a span of days, learned practically everything there was to know about the elf. Favorite color, the names of the different O’kamåne members that had served for the royal family, more about their collection of musical instruments-- why, Viss had even learned Jasper’s favorite tea! Yet all Viss knew about Rick was that he didn’t liked to be touched. 

And that for some reason driving through the village of Dendermond on the fourth day had him very nervous.

It was on the eighth day, however, that things truly began to change as the group finally made it to their destination. There, on the coast of Anyadike, was a harbor of airships. The zeppelins came in all different sizes and colors, as they bobbled in the water-- waiting to be boarded. It was the largest liner at the end they drove up to, the name ‘RMS FUMATO’ in big bold print on the side of the vessel. It was already beginning to board as the carriage parked itself as close as it could.

Viss had never seen anything that big in all their life. Not even the owlbears were that enormous. And people rode inside of them? Civilization was amazing. Surreal!

Jasper waved goodbye to the carriage, as Yavanna and the creatures rode off. Rick got the impression he was waving to the birds rather than the driver. What a weirdo. When the elf turned back to them, he was grinning.

"Well, no time to dawdle now, let's go!" He moved past them hastily but gracefully, Rick and Viss staring after him.

"So we're goin' aaalll the way up there, huh?" Viss asked Rick, pointing up at the top of the rather tall boarding steps.

"Yup." Rick was eyeing the steps as if he suspected it was actually a giant hungry snake ready to gobble everyone up. But in reality, it wasn't the stairs at all that had his stomach tied up in knots. Through the floorboards Rick could see waves splashing against the ship. The feathers on the back of his neck fluffed up from trepidation. He stared, fixed in place.

The duckman was shaken out of his trance by Viss gently placing a two clawed hand on his side.

“Hey… you comin’?” Viss asked, their brows wrinkled in concern. Rick brushed them off, forcing himself to climb the stairs.

Jasper was ignorant of anything being off as the elf bard had been busy getting their tickets tagged by the zeppelin's inspector. They all made it inside, going down the airship’s halls; Jasper couldn’t help but spin from giddiness-- his carpet bag twirling along with him.

“It’s as beautiful as I’ve imagined! Father used to talk about escorting the royal family on missions of peace, and saving his stubs to show me when he returned home… but I never dreamt I’d get a chance to ride one myself!”

Viss, who had been watching their boss and newfound friend spin with amusement, perked up even more as the elf revealed more about himself.

“Why not? Don’t kingy folk still use them?”

Jasper sighed, this time his features laced with regret.

“Sadly no. While I appreciate peace as much as the next fellow, it has made my opportunities of leaving the palace quite scarce.” Jasper paused, smiling as he reminisced. “Though I do appreciate Her Royal Highness humoring my art in private. Still! Isn’t it wonderful to finally chase after one’s dreams?”

Rick remained silent, and yet… he knew where the guy was coming from. 

Thankfully the topic was changed altogether as the trio made it to the end of the hall and into the main lobby of the ship. The room was full of massive glass windows for passengers to look out at the scenery-- which many of them did. Passengers talked amongst themselves, filling the lobby with their chatter. And there, in the middle of the room, were rows upon rows of chairs for the guests to sit.

Jasper led them to the chairs where he gave the others an apologetic look.

“I’m so terribly sorry I couldn’t acquire rooms for our stay. Since our trip will merely be a few hours, I wasn’t allowed to purchase any. I was told they were saved for passengers who stay for longer flights. A pity, but you understand, don’t you?”

Rick scoffed. Was this guy for real? Apologizing because they weren’t allowed ONE luxury? 

“It’ll be tough,” the duckman began, voice completely deadpanned,” but I’m sure we’ll manage.” 

Rick closed his eyes, and slumped down in his chair, doing his best to relax. That was difficult when Viss seemed to be bouncing in their seat right next to him. He cracked open an eye to shoot them a one-eyed glare. It went largely unnoticed.

"Sooo... hours, you said? Just checking." Viss was speaking to Jasper, and it was obvious they were already anxious, after only sitting there for a few seconds.

"Yes! Two, three hours, and we'll be on our way to adventure."

Jasper still seemed chipper about the situation, but when wasn't he? Viss, however, frowned deeply.

"Oh, okay." They mumbled. Rick opened both eyes to look at Viss now.

"Why don't you go... do something? No one said you had to sit there the entire trip." Please, Rick thought, go do something, elsewhere.

Just then a static noise popped through the sound bubble-- no doubt a charm was used to broadcast a voice throughout the zeppelin.

_ “Good afternoon guests and crew! Thank you for boarding the RMS Fumato, this is your captain speaking. I’m just announcing that we are getting ready to take off momentarily. If you would like to watch the departure, feel free to take a gaze out the nearest window!” _

Viss didn’t need to be told twice. The demon squealed, jumping from their seat. They gave Rick a quick hug before dashing for the nearest window to look at the ocean below. Face planted against the glass, Viss was fascinated by water pouring out from holes along the stem of the ship. Gallons upon gallons flowed out and into the sea, and it wasn’t too long before Viss could feel and visibly see the ship start to lift out of the water!

The demon darted to the other side of the airship, where they could see dockworkers untying the rope that attached it to the harbor. Once unattached, the ship was hovering over it-- the people already looked like tiny insects down below.

It was then that the ship gave a swift jerk, as if somebody gave them a big push. Fumato had a slow start, but soon they picked up speed as the zeppelin rose higher into the air.

In no time at all the ship was piercing through the clouds, surfing among them.

Viss watched in awe, eyes wide as they pressed themselves closer to the glass. The demon had never seen anything quite like it. The clouds looked like white fluffy fur that had never seen a spec of dirt. They looked so soft, and Viss couldn’t help but run their hands against the window as they imagined petting it. Every so often the clouds would part and Viss could see blue peeking out to say hello. Whether it was the ocean or the sky, Viss genuinely couldn’t tell.

Meanwhile, Jasper sat, uncharacteristically quiet, as he filed his nails, glancing up at Rick every now and then as the Avian sat reading his book. The silence wasn't meant to last, however, as the elf finally decided to comment.

"Thieves' Cant, hm? You have an interest in thievery, I presume?"

Rick stared at Jasper from over the top of his book briefly before dismissing him and going back to reading.

"I could say the same about you, Mr. Tomb Raider." Rick mumbled. Jasper caught it, barely, and his smile actually faltered.

"Well, my, I wouldn't... it isn't really stealing if the poor old girl has no more use of it these days, right?"

Rick merely grunted in reply, not looking up from this reading this time. Jasper cleared his throat awkwardly and stood.

"Yes, well, I will leave you to your reading, Mr. Mallard. " Jasper flashed him a smile, and was off to find someone who might hold a conversation a little better than his hired help.

The duckman sighed in relief as he was finally alone. It was nice to have his own space, as he stretched his legs and sunk deeper into the cushioned chair. He wouldn’t say he hated his travelling partners, just didn’t understand them. Like why they felt the need to always be moving and filling the silence with small talk. If anything, Rick was only used to talking to people if he absolutely had to.

Rick peered slightly over his book, taking in the passengers around him. He spotted Jasper laughing with another fancily dressed elf, the woman waving her fan and giggling behind it. Viss eventually ran up to him, pulling his arm as they wanted to show the man something trivial that the demon no doubt thought was the greatest thing they’d ever seen.

Rick shook his head before going back to his book. 

While the Avian didn’t get to keep his solitude for long, the time went on in relative peace. Sometime in the hour Rick was busy reading, Viss and Jasper had returned-- though they never seemed to sit for too long. At one point the two apparently decided they were bored and turned eating refreshments into a game-- as the moon elf would gently toss chocolates just for Viss to catch the treats in their mouth.

Their antics just made Rick feel like the old man he was. 

He wasn't even actually reading anymore, and hadn't been for a while. He was just using his book as a shield against social interaction; if people thought he was reading, no one would speak to him. And it was working.

Suddenly, the entire ship hitched forward sharply, the brief sound of scraping metal sounding throughout. This caused quite the commotion, as some passengers were knocked to the floor, a few of them screamed. Viss tumbled out of their seat and onto the floor, the last chocolate that Jasper had tossed bouncing off their head and rolling under the chair. Viss looked at it sadly before snatching it and popping it into their mouth, anyway.

“What the hell was that?!”Rick cried, picking himself up from where he landed, shoving his book into his bag. The ship shook again, coming from the rear of it. The trio looked in horror as clouds exploded into a mist, and from its wreckage…

Was another vessel.

The air popped and fizzled as the captain’s voice burst through the startled cries of the passengers.

_“Attention all guests and crew! Do not be alarmed!”_ Her voice wasn’t as reassuring as she tried to sound, as it was laced with a panicked edge. She went on. _“Remain calm, we have everything under control!”_

This, however, was far from the truth as glass shattered and flew through the air. Passengers cried as they did their best to shield themselves from the flying debris. The attacking airship had fired metal hooks, clasping and penetrating Fumato’s floorboards.

And before that could even be processed, down the ropes slid in grisly looking cat people, as they leapt aboard the ship-- weapons drawn. Pirates, they were being attacked by pirates! Jasper clutched onto Rick’s arm, as he crawled behind the duck and demon for protection. 

Passengers cried out in terror as the pirates came nearer, swords and blood stained hooks ready to slice anyone that dared to challenge them. 

Rick was already going for his dagger when the largest of the group-- a burly peg-legged panther woman-- sprung. Rick had barely taken his blade out of his satchel when the pirate wrapped an arm around him-- shoving the pointy end of her hook against his throat. Rick stopped his struggling as she pressed it harder into his skin.

“I’d be careful if I was ye, duckie. Don’t go startin’ fights if ya don’t know you’ll survive.”

Rick growled.

“Just who the hell ARE you guys?!”

The sound of boots landing on deck stole away the attention. There, standing tall and proud, long red and ragged coat blowing in the violent winds, was a slender cat woman. She glared, a green and white-filmed eye locking her gaze with the duckman as she aimed a gun at him. She smirked, cocking the pistol.

“We’re the ones in charge.”

And within a blink of an eye she fired, aimed at the ceiling as a burst of lime colored energy shot into the ship. Electricity blasted in a circular burst, the lights blacking out one by one. Soon only the pirate captain’s triumphant grin could be seen through the expanding darkness.

_ And then there was nothing. _


	4. The Fog Comes on Little Cat Feet

Rick Mallard found it hard to grasp consciousness as his head and body ached. He would peep an eye open, and instantly close it as the pain took him back to the darkness. He could recognize an annoyed tone of voice through the fog, as if somebody was ranting. It was not one he recognized, and Rick wanted to brush it off and go back to where pain couldn’t follow him. However, there was another voice, one that seemed closer as the Avian felt heat against his ear. 

 

_ “Rick...psst, c’mon pal… wake up.” _

 

Rick, he was Rick. And that squeaky voice, it was actually familiar. The voice kept up, this time followed with a nudge, and Rick latched onto it as he used it to bring himself back to the present.

 

The duckman groaned, forcing his eyes opened, where he saw a very worried Viss looking over him. Worry turned to relief as a smile broke out on their face.

 

“Hey! He’s awake!”  Rick clenched his eyes shut as the voice went right through his skull. The demon noticed as they continued in a whisper. “Oops! Sorry!”

 

“What… what happened?”

 

Rick was answered by somebody next to him-- as the Avian suddenly realized his employer was on his right.

 

“We were unfairly treated,” Jasper said softly, leaning as close as he could. “The pirates knocked some of us out, and escorted the passengers and crew into the storage room.”

 

“Let me guess, “Rick began, noticing that the three of them were tied, “I was one of the lucky ones knocked out?”

 

Probably sporting a concussion, too. Great, just great.

 

"Well, I mean, you did pull a knife on them..." Viss observed with a dismissive shrug of their shoulders.

 

"One, is was a dagger, and two, I didn't have TIME to--"

 

Rick cut himself off. Why was he arguing? It was pointless and only making his headache worse. He surveyed the room instead. The room was packed with passengers, most of them tied up, some still unconscious, but it wasn't difficult to spot the guy who was rambling to himself. A stout orange tabby sat atop a table, talking angrily to himself. He was obviously annoyed.

 

"Why don't you take your smart mouth down to storage and keep an eye on the passengers. Pah!" He said in an obviously mocking tone. "Ohhh, I'm captain know-it-all and I've got a stick up my rear because I'm always cold! Grow some fur like the rest of us you..." Rick didn't catch what he said next, as he had mumbled that part. The cat spoke back up soon enough, folding his arms in a pout.

 

"This crew would be nothin' without me, I'll tell ya that much."

 

Back near the corner of the room, Rick sighed. Of course, a guard. Things could never be simple. So, they needed to find a way to take the cat out before they could even escape the room to… to do what? What were the three of them-- two shorties and a pampered pretty boy-- supposed to do against a whole pirate crew? Still, sitting there and doing nothing wasn’t much better. Who knew what those mangy cats were going to do with their prisoners?

 

Rick wasn’t willing to wait around and find out.

 

“Okay,” the duckman whispered to his partners, “we need to find a way to take care of the pirate guard.” He turned to Jasper as much as he could. “You know SOME kind of magic, don’t you? Think you can knock him out?”

 

Jasper huffed.

 

“Of COURSE I know magic. I’ll have you know my lullabies have been known to knock out the strongest insomniacs!” The moon elf faltered some, as his irritation melted away to meekness. “Just, oh this is embarrassing…”

 

Rick glared.

 

“What?”

 

“I… need my hands.” Jasper was quick to defend himself. “It’s the only way I can cast any magic.”

 

Of course. Just another step to have to figure out. The duckman suppressed a groan as the demon next to him perked up.

 

“Oh, oh! I can help with that!”

 

Before Rick or Jasper could question what they meant, Viss threw themself on top of the duckman’s lap. Rick clamped down his bill as his body wanted him to scream. His eyes watered, and through clenched teeth he growled.

 

“How is this helping?!”

 

Viss wiggled, doing their best to get across Rick’s lap. Inching like a worm, Viss took no time to explain as they made their way closer to Jasper. Once near enough the demon latched their teeth onto the rope-- chomping and gnawing like a very determined rat.

 

Jasper gasped.

 

“What in the world! Stop that!”

 

Rick, realizing what they were doing, perked up.

 

“No. Keep going! Chew, Viss, chew!”

 

Viss planned on continuing to do that. But first they paused long enough to comment.

 

"Smells like butt down here."

 

Jasper made a whining, crying sound as if he'd been smacked. Rick shushed him.

 

"I most certainly do NOT smell like--"

 

"I said SHH! Do you WANT to call attention to us?" Rick hissed, glancing over to the cat... who was still mumbling to himself and munching on a raw fish.

 

Jasper closed his mouth and glanced away, a heavy pout set across his features. A moment later, the pouty look turned to one of relief. He slowly brought his freed hands to his lap, and flashed Rick a knowing smirk. Rick nodded firmly in reply.

 

"Viss. You can get off me now. ... Right now. Would be great."

 

"Yeah about that, I'm stuck." They gave a few futile wiggles to make their point. The Avian had to stop himself from just screaming in frustration as a wave of mortification washed over him. 

 

“Okay, I see that. You can stop.” He paused, stressing his uncomfortableness of the situation. “PLEASE.”

 

Rick’s plight was soon forgotten, however, as the moon elf stood up. Both demon and duck were worried that the pampered man was going to ruin his element of surprise. Especially as he cleared his throat- getting the pirate’s attention.

 

“Ey! How’d you get outta your rope?!”

 

The pirates’ harsh barking did not wipe the confident look off the royal bard’s face. Closing his eyes, Jasper smiled as he placed a hand on his chest.

 

And from him, like a gentle breeze, was a beautiful tenor tone-- as his hands glowed a soft white.

 

“ _ My dear friend, please listen well _

_ To your sea shanty lullaby _

_ No need to question what I tell _

_ As we sail through the cloudy sky _ ”

 

Two pairs of blue eyes locked onto each other as Jasper’s gaze deepened in intensity. The elf strolled closer, his arms stretched out in a welcoming gesture. The pirate stayed on the table, transfixed, as the song continued.

 

“ _ Does fancy follow you to sleep _

_ Is lofty fortune what you seek? _

_ Do kittens dream of fish or sheep _

_ Or of all the misery they reap? _

 

“ _ Drowsy waves drain out your thoughts _

_ Take comfort in their tune _

_ Just have a nap here, in this spot _

_ You’ll wake again real soon _ ”

 

By the end of Jasper’s song, he was directly in front of the stout cat man. With just a gentle tap of his finger onto the pirate’s forehead, the guard wobbled and fell onto his back as light dissipated across his face.

 

It was a moment later when the trio heard the man let out a ghastly snore.

 

Jasper smiled and stood proudly, waiting for an applause. And then remembered everyone was a little tied up at the moment, and his smile fell into a disappointed frown.

 

"Yaay! Wooo!" Viss loudly whispered from across Rick's lap. Jasper's smile returned, albeit a bit lopsided this time.

 

"Hm, well, not exactly the standing ovation I'm accustomed to, but it will have to do."

 

Rick cleared his throat.

 

"Great, bravo, now could you PLEASE untie us already?" he growled.

 

"Oh! Coming." Jasper replied in a sing-song tone that was far too cheerful considering their current situation. He returned to his two travel companions, and went to work plucking at the knots with dainty fingers.

 

Rick sighed once Viss was off of him, and again once he was freed as well. Rubbing his wrists, he allowed Jasper to help him up. Seeing the three free, a few of the other passengers stirred.

 

“Oh thank heavens!” The fancily dressed elf woman the bard had been talking to earlier cried. “Will you be untying us all as well?”

 

“No time,” Rick said sternly, as he looked around the room-- searching for anything that could be turned into a makeshift weapon. “We need to focus on taking out the other pirates.”

 

Besides, the duckman thought to himself, they wanted to keep their element of surprise. It would be hard to keep so many people out of sight if they were free. He thought it was rather obvious, though the women seemed to disagree.

 

“What! But… But safety in numbers! I demand to be free! NOW! NOW! NOW!”

 

Rick, back turned to the upper-class woman as he inspected an old rusted frying pan, grunted to the demon next to him.

 

“Viss… gag her before she draws unwanted attention.”

 

Viss grinned at the mention of their newly appointed task, finding an old scrap of cloth and tying it around the woman's face. Another woman scoffed loudly upon watching this scene.

 

"You three hooligans are no better than the monsters who tied us up in the first place! You would leave us--"

 

The woman shut up right then and there as she watched Viss pull an old cleaning rag from an old mop bucket and wring it out. Dark brown water cascaded down from it and splashed back into the bucket. Viss stared her down, grin wide and toothy, as if daring her to say one more word. She didn't.

 

Soon the three of them were ready to head out and face their captors. Rick wielded a frying pan, Viss an old broom, and Jasper... stayed close and behind them. Fighting wasn't his strong suit. Rick gave the signal, and they left... the door had been left unlocked. Those pirates had truly underestimated this crew.

 

No matter, the pirates’ stupidity would be Rick Mallard’s gain. Motioning for the others to follow, the duckman stayed close to the walls as he kept eye and ear open for any other cats on the prowl. The airship was eerily quiet as they traversed down the hallways.

 

It wasn’t until the three made it closer to Fumato’s dining room, that the cries of laughter and soft music could be heard. Were they… celebrating taking capture of the ship? Either these guys hadn’t a brain cell between them all…

 

Or they weren’t afraid because they knew something the prisoners did not. This thought was enough to make the avian shudder. Great, just what he needed, the shadow of death hanging over him on top of everything else.

 

Still, they needed to try something!

 

“Alright,” Rick whispered to the others, “we need a way to surprise these guys.”

 

“Won’t us showing up be enough surprise?” Viss asked genuinely, a bit confused. “I mean, they had us all locked up.”

 

Jasper shook his head, placing a hand on his demon friend’s shoulder.

 

“Darling, we can’t just kick the door down. That horrid captain is carrying a pistol, let alone what else the crew might have!”

 

Rick gave a quick nod.

 

“That’s why we’ll need something that will throw them off. Maybe blind them.” He side-eyed the royal bard. “You usually entertain at the palace, right?”

 

“Of course.” Jasper responded, brow raised as he was trying to figure out where the duckman was going. Rick could see this and had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. He carried on.

 

“Well, ever use anything… uh, flashy in your act?”

 

Realization lit up the elf's face then as he finally caught on.

 

"Oh! Yes! Actually, this little trick was banned from the castle, a little too potent for casual entertainment, you understand."

 

Jasper produced a small metal ball from seemingly nowhere (although Rick was pretty certain it had come from one of his sleeves), and held it up in two fingers, allowing the other two to gaze at its shiny surface.

 

"You two may wish to stay back. Or at least cover your eyes for awhile." He whispered, making his way silently to the dining room door, crouching and carefully pushing the door open. He took the ball, and flicked in into the room as if it were a marble. The room on the other side suddenly went dead silent as the small sphere rolled across the floor, every eye in the room on it. Then two identical twin siamese cats both pounced on it at once, immediately beginning to fight and squabble over the new toy... moments before the thing exploded with blinding light.

 

That was all the distraction Rick needed before he charged into the room. The moment the light started to dissipate, he swung at the first thing he could make shape of-- sending one of the twins straight to the floor. Viss had followed suit into the room, leaping onto the table as the demon swat away the other siamese cat that was just about to avenge her brother and attack Rick.

 

The captain, having gotten her eyesight back first roared as she jumped from her seat at the end of the table. She swiftly took her gun out as she began firing-- just nearly missing demon and duck as they dodged out of the way. She fired again, even as she began barking orders at the remaining pirate.

 

“Take them down, Mary!”

 

“Aye, Cap’n!”

 

It was the peg-legged panther woman that had captured Rick from the start-- and he had a sneaky suspicion she was also the one that knocked him out. Rick dived under the table as Mary’s golden hook tried to jab into him. The duckman’s heart beated hard in his chest as his mind tried to catch up and think of a plan.

 

“Come out, Duckie, “ the panther’s voice rasped, as she got on all fours and clawed her way towards the Avian. “Let me show ye why they call me Bloody Mary!”

 

“I rather not,” Rick growled, as he swung his frying pan at her. She ducked, fast for a woman with a missing arm and leg, and Mary charged at him again.

 

Meanwhile Viss was laughing as they leapt and danced around the bolts of lightning fired from the captain’s pistol. Viss’ grin grew wider as they hung upside down from the chandelier, noticing the captain’s frustration as the gun clicked and nothing happened.

 

“Out already? Shame!”

 

The cat captain threw her gun to the ground as it was her turn to climb onto the table. She drew her sabre, ready to cut the annoying demon to ribbons.

 

“I won’t let you make a fool of me!”

 

Viss yelped and scrambled up the chandelier just in time to avoid having their tail sliced off.

 

"Your parents beat me to it, lady!" The captain growled at the immature insult and demanded they come down and fight like a man, to which Viss replied with a loud raspberry.

 

The subtle shift of the chandelier managed to steal away their devious smirk, however, and the entire fixture let loose from the ceiling, crashing down, Viss and all. The captain almost managed to leap out of the way; but, she wasn't quite quick enough, getting trapped under it part way, her sword flying out of her grasp. She hissed and yowled loudly in anger.

 

"Ha! I totally meant to do that." Viss leapt off the thing to avoid her swiping claws, and grabbed the sword. Just in time to see Rick tumble out of the way of Mary's hook.

 

"Rick! Heads up!" Viss slid the sword across the floor, and Rick swiped it up, staring at it uncertainly with a grimace. He wasn't really the maiming type. But it would work to defend himself, at least.-- and he got the chance to try out that theory immediately as the hook came in again, and he brought up the sabre to parry it with a loud metallic clang.

 

Mary laughed, using her strength to push onto Rick-- as the duckman’s legs began to buckle some.

 

“Ye think ye can cross blades with me, little man?”

 

Rick said nothing as sweat fell down his brow. Just when it seemed the cat woman was going to overpower him altogether, Rick let gravity take him as he ducked and rolled away from the golden hook. Mary was momentarily stuck to the wooden boards, and just as she ripped her hooked hand from the ground, Rick swung as hard as he could.

 

Cutting off Mary’s wooden peg and causing her to topple to the ground.

 

The cat woman roared in fear and anger as she tried to climb back to her feet and couldn’t. With the look of murder in her eyes, Mary crawled awkwardly towards the duckman who just stepped back with every inch she made.

 

“I’m gonna skin ya, duckie! I’m gonna feast on your bones once I catch ya!”

 

Rick, with a look of determination, crossed his arms as he stood in place. He looked the mad woman down even as she began to cackle fiercely the closer she got. And just as Mary raised her hook, ready to slice the duckman where he stood…

 

She was knocked out by one good thwack, as Viss stood proudly behind her.

 

“Not today, crazy scary lady!”

 

And with that, Rick clutched his chest, panting as he let his true fear finally show now that the danger was over.

 

“Cutting it a little close, don’tcha think?!” Rick cried, glaring at the demon in front of him. Viss laughed, shrugging as they let the frying pan fall to the floor with a clang.

 

“Sorry, I was trying really hard to be sneaky!”

 

The Avian didn’t get a chance to respond, as the sound of clapping caused them both to whip their heads around. And there, standing in the doorway, was Jasper.

 

“Bravo, encore, my friends!” The moon elf cheered, strutting his way inside with all the confidence in the world. “What a show!”

 

Rick, however, didn’t take the compliment well. He glowered at the man that towered over him.

 

“You could have done something else but watched, ya know.”

 

Jasper gave Rick a sympathetic look, and shrugged.

 

"Sorry, I'm all tapped out. I've over-exerted myself with magic today it seems..."

 

"Really." Rick said, deadpan.

 

"Starting to see why he needs us so badly." Viss muttered.

 

"No matter! What say we get these goons tied up, hm?" Jasper began pulling rope out of his sleeve, but paused when he noted the look they were giving him.

 

"What? This isn't magic, it's an illusion. There's a difference, darlings, really."

 

Half an hour later, the entire pirate crew were tied up and gagged--  mostly because the captain wouldn't stop cursing at them. Viss was looking around, suddenly nervous.

 

"So uh... is this thing on auto-pilot, or what?"

 

The moon elf waved them off.

 

“Yes yes, don’t worry about a thing. Everything should be perfectly under control now that we took care of the actual danger.”

 

The ship hitched slightly, causing a look of fear to cross over all three of the adventurers’ faces. Jasper chuckled nervously.

 

“But, just in case, how about we go untie the crew, hmm?”

 

* * *

 

 

Untying all the prisoners had taken time, but once freed passengers chatted away as the Fumato’s magical maintenance crew set to work fixing the windows of the main lobby. The other crew members guarded the dining room to make sure the pirates couldn’t escape, as the captain sent a message through the radio to Velasco Wharf-- requesting constable assistance.

 

Though Rick Mallard only cared about getting his bags back, and was relieved that everything was still in tact and just as he left it.

 

It took over an hour to finally reach their destination-- as the pirates had slightly steered the airship off course. The sun was beginning to set, as sailors on the harbor pulled the ropes hanging off the side of the zeppelin-- bringing the ship into the dock. The pirates were the first to be escorted off the vessel, as they went by the trio giving them the dirtiest looks. Bloody Mary locked eyes with Rick as he had the sinking feeling in his gut that this wouldn’t be the last time he saw the pirates.

 

It wasn’t long after that when the familiar sound of popping and fizzling occurred, and the captain’s voice boomed over the ship.

 

_ “We have finally landed into Velasco Wharf. Thank you all for sailing with us! Passengers unboarding at this stop may now do so. Everyone else, please relax and enjoy the refreshments as we take time to restock and prepare Fumato for takeoff.” _

 

Jasper sighed, picking himself up from his seat as he looked sadly over the ship.

 

“That would be us, then. Such a shame we have to leave so soon.”

 

Rick said nothing as he shook the demon next to him awake, as Viss had been using his arm as a makeshift pillow. They looked around, vision a bit blurred, as Viss yawned loudly.

 

“Here already?”

 

Rick scoffed.

 

“You guys act like we just had a pleasant cruise or something.”

 

Viss gave a lopsided smile.

 

“You tryin’ t’say we didn’t?”

 

The duckman wasn’t as amused, and instead chose to focus on grabbing his things. Without giving another word to the others, he walked straight towards the exit. Jasper shook his head, a look of pity crossing his features.

 

“He’s never going to enjoy himself with that attitude of his.” The bard sighed. “No matter. I suppose it takes all kinds to complete a task, after all.” Jasper grabbed onto Viss’ hand as he escorted them off the ship before the Avian went off too far. Jasper continued to chatter.

 

“I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.”

 

Viss really hoped he would too.


End file.
